I am looking at doing a 3" lift on an 08 Tundra (pricing it all out now). What are the differences between a Camburg/Donahoe Racing coil-over lift vs. a Toytec etc spacer lift. It seems to be about a $1000 difference in price so I was wondering what the advantages are.
I did the Total Chaos UCA and Sway A Way long travel Coilover lift on the front of my truck (about 2.75") and toytec add-a-leaf (1.5" yielded 1") on the back. This setup left me with a more level truck that has a little bit of rake (good).
Basically, the coilovers will give you more travel as well as more height. Adding a spacer will reduce your travel. If you rarely take your truck offroad, you'll be fine with a spacer. If you do heavy offroading, go with the coilovers.
I found that the coilovers offer quite an improved ride...they are more responsive than stock...plush on the washboards, but stiff in cornering and braking. I really feel that the handling of my truck has improved.
If you want the Camburg coilovers, you might as well get the sway a ways....Camburg just stamps their name on SAW coilovers and upcharges...per DevinSixtySeven.
You'll spend about 900+ on the coilovers and I can't remember how much I paid for the UCAs ($400?) The new UCAs will allow for better adjustment for alignment, and they are beefier than stock. Don't forget to get a 1" front differential drop IF your truck is 4x4.
Pics.
Before:
After:
next to a silver stock tundra (4x4 and TRD like mine):
close-ups:
I would not have done this lift any other way...the form and function are perfect, and the lift is not too aggressive and useless looking.
Good Luck man!
__________________ Want to know what's ironic? My Polish grandparents who were captured during the Warsaw Uprising.
Grandmother was enslaved in a German concentration camp and forced to make artillery shells for the 3rd Reich. Grandfather was in German and Soviet POW camps...ending up in Siberia. After WWII, they moved to the USA to be free, but Obama has turned it into the USSA...Grandaddy is rolling in his grave. CBTMA Member
Coilovers are more performnce oriented. You will get longer travel and more damping. The hold more fluid and will not fade as quickly when you start beating on them.
Spacer lifts are just a means to lift. You will stil have the factory shocks but the ride may stiffen up a bit due to the added load on the suspension. I don't know how it affects these truck because I don't have one, but in previous exp it has stiffened a little.
Both will put added strees on the upper ball joint which can be fixed by uniball a-arms.
You just have to ask yourself what you will be using the truck for? If it's just for looks, get the spacer. If you plan on any offroad excursions or baja racing down the beach, then get the c/o's
Coilovers alone only get you lift, just like a spacer...but the "spacer" on the coilover is a threaded collar, so you can choose the ride height you want.
The benefit of a coilover alone is (usually) much better valving and a higher spring rate, which you'll need offroad and hauling stuff. If you never plan to do either, get a coil rate similar to stock or risk running too stiff, which does damage your truck in the long run.
Neither spacer or coilover alone will change the amount of travel you have, but if both use stock length shocks, you will lose extension travel for compression travel and the truck will feel like a ton of bricks over every bump.
The beauty of the Camburg kit (and the Chaos arm, as modeled by Woody ) is the arm allows more suspension travel, and the coilover has a longer shaft so you can actually use that travel and your ride will be effectively like stock, assuming you use a similar spring rate.
Camburg does rebadge a SAW, but they use an internal limiting block on the long coilovers, they do have a pretty trick mounting adapter, and you'd have to ask if they revalve or just use stock SAW valving...but it's not quite just a rebadge and markup, you do get a few things from Camburg. The adapter on its own is pretty nice, and IIRC if you get the kit you also get a set of Dirtbagz to protect the new shafts.
And definitely look at Woody's threads about his kit . Go for the whole kit from Burg, the arms and the coilovers. You won't be disappointed. Or, go Chaos and SAW or Donahoe...either way, same result and great performance.
Coilovers alone only get you lift, just like a spacer...but the "spacer" on the coilover is a threaded collar, so you can choose the ride height you want.
The benefit of a coilover alone is (usually) much better valving and a higher spring rate, which you'll need offroad and hauling stuff. If you never plan to do either, get a coil rate similar to stock or risk running too stiff, which does damage your truck in the long run.
Neither spacer or coilover alone will change the amount of travel you have, but if both use stock length shocks, you will lose extension travel for compression travel and the truck will feel like a ton of bricks over every bump.
The beauty of the Camburg kit (and the Chaos arm, as modeled by Woody ) is the arm allows more suspension travel, and the coilover has a longer shaft so you can actually use that travel and your ride will be effectively like stock, assuming you use a similar spring rate.
Camburg does rebadge a SAW, but they use an internal limiting block on the long coilovers, they do have a pretty trick mounting adapter, and you'd have to ask if they revalve or just use stock SAW valving...but it's not quite just a rebadge and markup, you do get a few things from Camburg. The adapter on its own is pretty nice, and IIRC if you get the kit you also get a set of Dirtbagz to protect the new shafts.
And definitely look at Woody's threads about his kit . Go for the whole kit from Burg, the arms and the coilovers. You won't be disappointed. Or, go Chaos and SAW or Donahoe...either way, same result and great performance.
-Sean
I was hopin' you'd chime in on this one, sine I'm not the most schooled on my own setup! Sean, the almighty guru of toyota offroad suspension.
I didn't know that there was actual difference between the camburg and the SAW coilover...my bad
One other thing mhagger...This setup does great on washboards, gravel, ruts, creak bottoms, and dicey pastures. I put the suspension through the paces...not to mention while towing 10,000Lbs through hairy terrain. It really absorbsdrops in terrain and potholes at high speeds...I used to fly through terraced pastures at 30-45 mph with no problem, also used to drive off the back of levies and dams....every time, this suspension really kept me very confident that the hulking weight of this truck wasn't going to bottom out the suspension, and there was really no bump-steer either.
__________________ Want to know what's ironic? My Polish grandparents who were captured during the Warsaw Uprising.
Grandmother was enslaved in a German concentration camp and forced to make artillery shells for the 3rd Reich. Grandfather was in German and Soviet POW camps...ending up in Siberia. After WWII, they moved to the USA to be free, but Obama has turned it into the USSA...Grandaddy is rolling in his grave. CBTMA Member
I put a set of Camburg coilovers on my '05 Taco and it made a world of difference both on road and off and plan on doing it to my Tundra when funds allow. If you can afford it, get a set of Burg's or Hoe's.
I am looking at doing a 3" lift on an 08 Tundra (pricing it all out now). What are the differences between a Camburg/Donahoe Racing coil-over lift vs. a Toytec etc spacer lift. It seems to be about a $1000 difference in price so I was wondering what the advantages are.
Thanks
If you can afford it definately go with coil-overs. I would go with the camburg or swayaways personally. Donahoe is having alot of backorders so they can be hard to get and you may have to wait awhile. If you are going to be doing any kind of offroading then the coil-over setup is going to give you a better ride and more performance. Give wheelersoffroad a call and see what they can set up up with. They have both spacer lifts and different coilovers too!
where to buy these?
where is the best price?
im thinking maybe donahue with arms.
Bought my setup at offroad warehouse, but you need to shop around for the best price. I thought ORW had awesome, service...dealt with Jason on the phone and got everything done right. Read the previous posts on backorders and inventory issues with donahoe...you can get other COs that are just as good, right now, for less money... my SAWs kick butt!
__________________ Want to know what's ironic? My Polish grandparents who were captured during the Warsaw Uprising.
Grandmother was enslaved in a German concentration camp and forced to make artillery shells for the 3rd Reich. Grandfather was in German and Soviet POW camps...ending up in Siberia. After WWII, they moved to the USA to be free, but Obama has turned it into the USSA...Grandaddy is rolling in his grave. CBTMA Member
donahoe has temporarily closed their doors and will be (try to be) reopening under a new name.
on a side note someone mentioned that the Donahoe's had a potential for 4" of lift, however i believe this is only achievable when using the Camburg Long Travel kit
Coil-over vs. spacer lift
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) is the arm allows more suspension travel, and the coilover has a longer shaft so you can actually use that travel and your ride will be effectively like stock, assuming you use a similar spring rate.
. Go for the whole kit from Burg, the arms and the coilovers. You won't be disappointed. Or, go Chaos and SAW or Donahoe...either way, same result and great performance.
Re: Coil-over vs. spacer lift
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